Automatic yarn-coil winding machine



March 9, 1965 s, FURs-r 3,172,610

AUTOMATIC YARN-COIL WINDING MAHINE March 9, 1965 s, FURST 3,172,610

AUTOMATIC YARN-COIL WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 28, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 2 QW 71M March 9, 1965 s, FURs-r 3,172,610

AUTOMATIC YARN-COIL WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 28, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 5 E0 2/ /046 n ab 02 f5 f /5 2 ,P8 04a l alga 5 2/2 25 2l,06 f r s /06a/ l /05` 34 32 23 ,L -l

[E l l", 5/ 21313 36 @5 45a pr 2/0-/ '35 47 /07 o a f 2m 45 32 p..

c 231 9 :vf 7 f7 /0 202 c o'. l

/NVENTOR March 9, 1965 s. FURsT 3,172,610

AUTOMATIC YARN-COIL. WINDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 28, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4

mui-uuu United States Patent O 4 claims. (ci. 242-355) My inventionrelates to automatic machines for re- Winding bobbins, cops and otherrelatively small yarn coils into larger packages of a desired type andsize such as crosswound coils also called cones and cheeses. In a moreparticular aspect my invention relates to multistation winding machinesin which a multiplicity of individually operable Winding units areprovided with a mobile servicing unit or tender which 4travels along arow or group of such stations and automatically performs any neededservicing operation, such as knotting the broken yarn ends from thesupply coil and the take-up spool together, in order to place afault-responsively stopped station back to normal operation.

This application -is a division of my copending application Serial No.227,687, filed September 28, 1962, assigned to the assignee of thepresent invention.

There are automatic Winding machines of this type in which theindividual Winding stations are automatically fed with yarn-supplycoils, such as cops, Whenever a new supply coil is needed, particularlywhen the previously operative supply coil becomes exhausted. Generally,such automatic feeding operation at the individual stations of themachine is effected from a magazine or through a conveyor belt.Difficulties of proper timing are involved in cases Where the supplycoils are fed to the individual stations of the machine by means of aconveyer belt that receives its supply from a diterent fabricatinglocation, for example at a spinning machine from which the completedspinning cops are taken in order to be rewound into larger yarn packagesat the Winding stations of the Winding machine. With such a combinationof a Winding machine with a spinning machine, the Working capacity ofthe Winding machine must be greater than that of the spinning machine inorder to reliably prevent clogging on the conveyer which feeds the coilsto the winding machine. Consequently, when such Winding machinescooperate with a given number of spinning spindles, it is inevitablethat one or the other Winding station from time to time is nottemporarily provided With supply coils because the spinning machine doesnot produce a sufficient number of such coils. This has the consequencethat the automatic mechanisms in the Winding machine that respond to theabsence of yarn in the winding stations are repeatedly raised into`futile operation. ln multi-station machines equipped with a servicingtender that travels along the row of Winding stations, such temporarylack of coil supply at individual Winding stations may have the resultthat the tender is time and again arrested in front of a Winding stationto perform a servicing operation which is useless in the absence of theyarn supply, so that the tender during the same period of time isprevented from servicing other winding stations that may still beprovided with a suiiicient yarn supply.

3,172,610? Patented Mar. 9, 1965 lt is an object of my invention tominimize or eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages and to providean automatic winding machine in Which the entire performance of eachindividual winding station is stopped it' no yarn-supply coil isfurnished from the feeder means of the machine.

Another, more specific object is to prevent, in a multistation Windingmachine with a mobile tender, the imposition of any control action uponthe travelling tender by an individual Winding station if the stationhas not been fed properly With a yarn-supply coil from the feeder meansof the machine.

Another object of Imy invention, implied in those aforementioned, is toreduce the wear imposed upon the automatic servicing equipment of coilwinding machines by avoiding inherently futile knotting attempts and thelike servicing operation; and it is also an object, WithV respect tomobile-tender multi-station Winding machines, to increase the eiiciencyand Working capacity of the tender by eliminating the possibility ofhaving the tender called upon to stop and attempt a knotting operationat an 4individual station not properly provided with a yarn-supply coilfrom the feeder means of the machine.

To achieve these objects, and in accordance with a feature of myinvention, in a yarn-package winding machine comprising a multiplicityof Winding stations with individual take-up spool drive means and havingyarnsupply coil feeder means for the stations, each of the windingstations is equipped with a control device Whose sensing component isresponsive to coil depletion of the feeder means in the station. Thecontrol device is in controlling connection with the spool drive meansso as to individually control the speed of the winding operation to therate or frequency of the coil supply from the feeder means.

It -is particularly advantageous, however, to design the above-mentionedcontrol device as a switching apparatus which automatically stops theWinder drive of the Winding station in response to absence of ayarn-supply coil at the feeding location of the station, and whichapparatus automatically starts the drive upon resumption of the lcoilsupply from the feeder means of the machine to the station.

According to another, preferred feature of my invention, the samecontrol device is also provided with means for blocking and releasingthe other Working devices of the Winding station that serve to eliminateyarn faults and resulting stoppage as may be due to yarn breakage ordepletion of a yarn-supply coil. As a result, the control or switchingdevice that responds to depletion of coil supply from the feeder meansat the individual Winding station not only stops and re-starts theWinder drive in the station but simultaneously prevents the operation ofthe auxiliary automatic knotting and related servicing devices at .thetime the Winder drive is stopped, while again releasing such servicingdevices for operation when the Winder drive is re-started, Withoutaffecting the corresponding automatic operations in any of the otherWinding stations.

The above-mentioned and more specic objects, advantages and features ofmy invention, said features being set forth with particularity in theclaims annexed hereto, will be apparent from the following inconjunction with the embodiments of Winding machines according to theinvention illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional side view of a multi-station windingmachine, the appertaining mobile tender, being known as such and notmodified by the invention proper, being represented only by afragmentary and partly sectional view.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar cross-sectional side views or respectivelydifferent machines, modified in comparison with that of FIG. l, and themobile tender being omitted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic and fragmentary front view of the winding machineaccording to FIG. 1, the same-view being also applicable to the machineaccording to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3.

The same reference characters are used in all illustrations for denotingrespectively similar components.

In the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a multi-stationwinding machine of the type and fundamental design known, forexamplefrom my United States Patent No. 3,033,478, assigned to theassignee of the present invention. Design details of such machines,including thoseof the appertaining mobile tender, are also known fromthe machines available under the trademark ,Autoconer fromthe'AmericanSchlafhorst Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina, described in thebook entitled Autoconer Manual published in 1962, ofwhich a copy isavailable in the Patent Office library. However, the design andoperation of such a machine will be described below to the extentnecessary or helpful in understanding the invention proper.

The illustrated machine comprises lateral frame structures A1 (FIGS. 1,2), which are rigidly joined with a tubular carrier beam 2 extendingalong the -top of the machine, another tubulartbearn 3 which forms arunway for the mobile servicing unit described below anda likewisetubular rail 4. The tubular structures 2, 3 and 4 extend horizontallyparallel to each other along all individual coil winding stations of themachine. Fastened to the tubular top beam- 2 at each individual windingstation is a rigid arm 5 of arcuate shape which-extends from beam 2forward and downward. The lower end of the arm structure 5 carries atubular sleeve 6 which is joined Vwith the beam 3 by a bracket 7.

A Vcontrol shaft 8, which during operation of the machine continuouslyturns .a given angle forward and back, extends parallel to the top beam2 between the lateral frame structures of the machine. Aside from beingjournalled at its ends, the oscillating shaft 8 may also be'supported inbearings between the individual winding stations,such as at 1a (FIG. 2),depending upon the length of the shaft. Firmly'mounted on shaft 8 ineach winding station is an entrainer 9 which is joined by a spring 10with a swing arm 11 rotatably seated on the shaft 8 and normally held bya spring 10 against a stop 9a of the entrainer 9. During oscillatorymovement of the shaft 8 and the entrainer 9, the arm 11 is normally freeto be carried along for the actuation of testingl means described below.

The machine is provided with a mobile tender 3.3 (FIGS. l, 2) which hastwo pairs of running wheels 12a, 12b seated upon the track formed by thetubular beam 5. Iournalled on the lower bifurcated end of the tender 13are guide rollers 13a and 13b which rest against opposite sides of theguide rail 4 thus maintainingthe tender in proper position during itstravel. During operation of the machine, the tender 13 travels along theindividual Winding stations and is temporarily arrested in front of anyone winding station that may require servicing at the time. The meansfor `driving the tender ,13 along the track beam arenot illustrated anddescribed herein because they are not essential tothe present inventionproper and may be identical with those illustrated and described in thecopending` application of S. Frst i and M. Rhl, Serial No. 796,049,filed February 27, 1959, now Patent No. 3,061,216.

The travel of the tender 13 is automatically stopped in the properservicing position relative to a Winding station where the yarn-endseizing devices of the tender 13, preferably consisting of air suctionnozzles as shown at 13e and 13d in FG. 2, can operate to suctionallyentrain the yarn end of the take-up spool and the yarn end of the supplycoil and to place both into the action range of a knotting device 13ewhich ties both ends together. For further details of the tender and itsoperation, not essential to the present invention and known as such,reference may be had to my United States Patent No. 3,033,478 assignedto the assignee of the present invention.

A Winder drive shaft 15 (FIGS. 1, 2), continuously rotating duringoperation of the machine, extends above arm structure 5 in parallelrelation to the axis of the top beam 2 and carries a friction roller 16in each individual winding station. Located beneath the arm 5 is anotherdrive shaft 17 which likewise rotates -continuously during operation ofthe machine, but in a direction opposed to that of the shaft 15. Theshaft 17 carries a friction roller 18 in each winding station. The twoshafts 15 and 17 are journalled .in the lateral frame structures of themachine independently of the carrier arm 5. If necessary, the shafts 15and 17 may also be supported by bearings on other locations, for exampleat 1a between two Winding stations.`

A frame 20 is pivotally mounted at 20a on the arm 5 and forms a journalat 2Gb for the take-up spool 21 of the winding station. Also journalledon the arm 5 is a yarn guiding` drum 22 with a drum shaft 22a. Athree-armed lever 23 is pivoted at 23a to the carrier arm 5 and isconnected by a link 24 with an intermediate friction roller 25. When thelever 23 is turned clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 1, theintermediate roller 25 is lifted and then couples the friction roller 16on the shaft 15 with the guiding drum 22. The take-upspool 21, gravitybiased against the periphery of the drum 22, is then entrained in thewinding-up direction, andv the guiding groove 22b (FIG. 2) extendingabout the periphery of the guiding drum and forming a loop closed uponitself, reciprocates the incoming yarn back and forth along the take-upAspool, thus producing the desired cross-wound yarn package.

When the lever 23 is turned counterclockwise about its pivot 23a (FIG.1), the intermediate roller 25 is placed in coupling engagement with thereversely driven roller 18 so that now the guiding drum 22 andthecntrained take-up spool 21 rotate in the unwinding direction. This isdone only temporarily whenever it is necessary to unwind a certainlength of yarn from the take-up spool for the purpose of tying the yarntogether with that ,coming from the supply coil.

The arm structure 5 further carries a main control lever 31 which isbiased by a spring 49 for clockwise motion about a pivot 32. Alsomounted on the arm structure 5 is a pivoted latch member 33 biased by aspring 34 for engagement of its latch arm 35 with a catch recess 36 ofthe control lever 31.

Pivoted at 37a to the lower end ofthe arm structure 5 is a yarn guard 37-which is normallybiased into feeling engagement with the yarn F comingfrom the supply coil C and passing over the guiding drum 22 onto thetake-up spool 21. In theevent of yarn breakage or when the supply coilC'is exhausted, the guard 37 'responds to the absence of yarn by turningclockwise from the position shown in FIG. l. As will be furtherexplained below, such deflection of the yarn guard has the effectofstopping the winding operation of the winding station and, normally,causes the tender 13, upon its next passage, to be arrested atthewinding station for reestablishing proper winding conditions.

The tube 6 attached to the lower end of the arm struc:-

ture 5, carries at its bottom a holder 38 for accommodating theabove-mentioned yarn-supply coil C, such as a spinning cop. The removalof a depleted coil C and the substitution of a full coil are eectedautomatically, for example, by control devices as described andillustrated in my copending applications, Serial No. 704,983, tiledDecember 24, 1957 (now abandoned), and Serial No. 728,- 139, tiled April4, 1958, now Patent No. 3,077,311, both assigned to the assignee of thepresent invention.

A horizontal pusher rod 41 links one arm of the drive control member 23with the main control lever 31. Pivoted to the lower end of the maincontrol lever 31 is a bell-crank lever 45 to which a reciprocatingmovement is imparted by a linking rod 46. This reciprocating motion istransmitted from the oscillating control shaft 8 and the sensing arm 11onto a lug at the lower end of the rod 46 and takes place whenever, andas long as, the swing arm f 11 is free to participate in the oscillationof the entrainer 9, this being the case when the tender 13 is notlocated at the winding station. The oscillatory motion of the swing arm11, rod 46 and bell-crank lever 45 ceases when a wheel 11 on theapproaching tender forces the swing lever 11 counterclockwise out ofengagement with the entrainer stop 9a, this condition being shown inFIG. l.

The right arm 47 of the bell-crank lever 45 forms at its end a lug 48which, when the yarn guard 37 is in position of normal operation, cancatch behind the top of the yarn guard whenever, during theabove-mentioned oscillating movement of the lever 45, the arm 47 is inlowermost position. However, when the yarn guard 37 is deflectedclockwise due to breakage or absence of yarn, the lug 48, during itsclockwise stroke will place itself upon the top of the yarn guard 37.This has the result that during the oscillating motion imparted to lever45 by the rod 46, a pushing force is exerted by the lever arm 47 uponthe lower end of the main control lever 31 with the effect of turningthe control lever 31 counterclockwise in opposition to the biasingspring 49. This releases the latch member 33 from the catch recess 36 ofthe control lever 31. Consequently, the control lever 31 remainsdeflected in the counterclockwise direction until, at a later time, thecontrol lever 31 is pushed back to the original position.

The just-mentioned counterclockwise motion of the main control lever 31from the illustrated to the relieved position is imparted through thelinking rod 41 to the drive control lever 23 which now moves theintermediate friction roller away from the forward driving roller 16 tothe position shown in FIG. 1 and the drum 22 now stops. Duringsubsequent counterclockwise motion of the drive control lever 23, thecoupling roller 25 is placed into engagement with the reversing roller18. This causes the guiding drum 22 to rotate in the unwinding directionin order to expose a suiiicient length of yarn from the take-up spool asrequired for the seizing and knotting of the yarn ends. Thejust-mentioned further motion of the lever 23, however, comes about byoperation of the tender 13 as will be explained.

The tender 13, when passing by an individual winding station, must checkwhether the Winding operation in that station is still in good order.For the purpose of such checking, a horizontal tappet 50 (FIG. l) islinked to the latch member 33 and cams an extension 51. If, due tobreakage or absence of yarn in the winding station, the latch member 33is turned clockwise about its pivot 33a in the manner described above,the tappet 50 moves toward the right and enters into the travellingrange of a switch arm 52 which is pivotally mounted on the housingstructure of the tender 13 and is normally in the illustrated uprightposition. When the tender 13 approaches a winding station in which thetappet 50 has previously shifted to the right, the switch arm 52 isengaged by the protruding end of the tappet and is turned in one or theother direction depending upon whether the tender 13 arrives from theleft or right (relating to FIG. 2). The

deflecting motion of the switch arm 52 is transmitted by a shaft 52a tothe internal mechanism (not shown) of the tender 13 which cause it tostop and to operate its yarnend seeking and knotting devices. Duringsuch operation, a tappet (not shown) protruding out of the tender 13pushes against the drive control lever 23 and thereby engages thecoupling roller 25 with the reverse driving roller 18 for a shortinterval of time. During that interval the yarn guiding drum 22 isturned in the unwinding direction so that a certain length of yarn isavailable to be seized by the yarn seeking and knotting devices 13e,13d,

Y 13e (FIG. 2) which form part of the tender and are not furtherdescribed herein because they may correspond to those illustrated anddescribed in my above-mentioned copending applications, Serial No.704,983, led December 24, 1957 (now abandoned) and Serial No. 728,139,tiled April 14, 1958, both assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention.

While in the event of yarn breakage the lever 47 entrains the maincontrol lever 31 over a relatively large range of turning motion, theentrainment is only short when the yarn is present because then the armof lever 47 rather than its end 48 abuts upon the top of the yarn guard37. This short entrainment, however, sufces in order to temporarilyeliminate the driving connection between the intermediate roller 25 withthe driving roller 15 and the yarn guiding drum 22.

When, during winding operation, the yarn package on the take-up spool 21has reached a predetermined diameter, and the journalling frame 20 islifted a corresponding distance, a rod 102 is likewise lifted. Ashoulder disc 103 on the rod 102 then permits a lever 104, pivoted at104a, to turn counterclockwise under the biasing force of a spring 104bto a position in which a segment 105, likewise pivoted at 104e isentrained to follow the pivotal movement in the clockwise direction. Thesegment 105 is connected with the lever 104 by a biasing spring and hasa slot traversed by a stop pin of lever 104. A lever 106 pivoted at106e: to the arm structure 5 and biased by a spring ltltb forcounterclockwise motion, normally rests against the circular peripheryof the segment 105. However, when the segment 105 is entrained by thelever 104 and reaches the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the lever 106is released and snaps counterclockwise to the illustrated position ofFlG. 1. This causes a push button 128 to protrude out of the armstructure 5, thus signalling to the attendant that the yarn package onthe takeup spool 21 is completed.

When, due to lifting of the journalling frame 20, the lever 10d snaps tothe illustrated position of FIG. 1, a lug 109 formed by an extension 107of the lever 106 catches behind the bell-crank lever 45 and locks it inposition, Now the lug 48 of the lever arm 47 is held arrested so thatthe connecting rod 46 is kept in lifted position and no longer continuesto follow the reciprocating motion of the swing lever 11. This stops thereciprocating motion of the horizontal connecting rod 41 and of thedrive control lever 23. The intermediate coupling roller 24 is thus keptin the inactive position shown in FIG. 1. Consequently, the Winder drivein the winding station is stopped. In this position of the rod 46, thecontrol lever 31 also remains in the illustrated position. That is, thearm 35 of the latch member 33 is not released and consequently thetappet 50 is retained in the illustrated position. Hence, although thewinding station is stopped, the servicing tender 13 is not called uponto operate because the tappet 50 with its projection 51 has not beenshifted into the path of the switching arm 52 on the tender 13.

After the full take-up spool 21 is replaced by an empty spool core, theattendant depresses the push button 128. ri`his returns the lever 106into engagement with the periphery of segment 105 so that theabove-described stopping and locking actions are terminated. The lug 109is thus withdrawn from the bell-crank lever 45. The

to the illustrated unwinding position.

v tion of the supply-coil feed means.

1 rod 102 drops together with thejournalling frame 20, and the windingoperation is resumed.

The coil holder 38 fastened to the lower end of the Vtube 6 carries apeg 67 for receiving the supply coils C.

The peg 67 is pivotally mounted so that the peg can be turned to theunwinding position shown in FIG. 1 or to a downward positionin which itcan receive a coil from the feeder means. Also mountedon the lowerpartof tube 6 is a doffer 63 for removing the empty coil cores. Thedoter is actuated by a Bowden wire 65 whose active end protrudes fromthe tender 13. Details of the mechanism for the Bowden wire 55 and foranother Bowden wire 66 shown only schematically in FIG. 1, are notrelevant to the present invention and may be identical with thoseapparent from the abovementioned copending application Serial No.728,139, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Bowdenwire 66 serves for turning the peg 67 counterclockwise when it is toreceive a new supply coil that glides downward on a glideway 201. Theglideway 201 forms part of the yarn-supply feeder means of the machineand has just enough space to store one spare coil which normally is heldin position by a latch lever 203 rotatable about a pivot 22. Thespare'coil is held in ready position until the peg 67 has turneddownwardly to the proper receiving position. Then the Bowden wire 66 isactive to operate the latch lever 203, whereupon the spare coil glidesdownwardly onto the gpeg 67,'whereafter the peg 67 turns upward Thesupply of new coils to the glideway 201 can be effected in any Vdesiredmanner, for example by means of a conveyer belt that passes along therow of winding stations in accordance with the machine illustrated anddescribed in the copending application Serial No. 153,244 of Reinersetal., filed November 17, 1961, now Patent No. 3,111,280,

assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The devices and components of the multi-station ma-V chine described sofar, have been explained for the purpose of conveying an understandingof the invention illustrated in FIGS. l, 2 and 3 are identical.

Turning now to the invention proper, it is essential that the machine isprovidedV in each individual winding station with a control or switchingdevice which acts upon the Winder drive in the station in` response tothe condi- The control device comprises a lever arm 210 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3)which can rotate about thesame pivot 106a as the above-mentionedcontrol-lever 106 but is not connected with the lever 106. That is, theparts 106 and 210 can perform rotational motion independently of keachother. Y Linked to the lever arm 210a is a drive control member whichoperates in response to the feed of supply coils and which in theillustrated embodiments consists of the armature 211 of an electromagnetor solenoid 212 energized from a current source Y213. The energizingcircuit of the magnet 212 is controlled by a feeler 214 which respondsto presence and absence of a supply coil in the ready position of theglideway 201. When there is no supply coil in this ready position, sothat the feedY of yarn supply is interrupted, the feeler 214 closes apair of electric contacts 215 which effect closing of the energizingcircuit so that the magnet 212is excited. The armature 211 is thenpulled toward the left and turns the lever arm 210 counterelockwise.During such turning motion, a lug 210b of arm 210 is placed beneath thebell-crank lever in the same manner as is described above for the lug109 of the lever 107. Consequently, when the magnet 212 responds toabsence of a supplycoil in the feeder glideway, the winding operation ofthe station is likewise discontinued by disconnecting the transmissionfrom the drive roller 16 through the intermediate roller 25 to theyarn-guiding drum 22, and a turning motion of the yarn guard 37 aswellas a displacement of the tappet are again prevented. Conv position.

sequently, when a spare supply of yarn is missing in a winding station,the station is stopped but the otherwise occurring automatic servicingoperations are not released and the servicing tender is not caused tostop at the station and to attempt putting it back into operativecondition.

In order to prevent the magnet 212 from responding each time a depletedcoil is substituted by a full yarnsupply coil, a time-delay member 217is interposed between the feeler contacts 215 and the control circuit ofthe magnet. The timing period of the delay member 217 is adapted to theperiod of time required for completely unwinding a yarn-supply coil. Forexample, when the minimum time needed for depletion of a supply coil is4 minutes, the time-delay member 217 may be set for a timing period of 3and one-half minutes. In this case the magnet 212 is energized only if30 seconds prior to complete depletion of a supply coil no new coil hasarrived in the ready position on the glideway 201 and has opened thecontacts 215 by means of the feeler 214. As a result, the drive-controldevice according to'the invention is put into operation only when thefeed means of the machine have failed to provide the winding stationwith a new supply coil within the proper period of time.

Another wayV of securing such performance is to conneet in the controlcircuit of the electromagnetic 212, in lieu of the above-mentionedtimedelay member 217. another feeler contact which senses the amount ofyarn still containedfon the yarn coil being unwound. This principle ofcontrol is embodied in themachine illustrated in FIG. 2.

The machine is provided with the above-mentioned feeler 214 fordetermining whether a spare coil is located in ready position on theglideway structure 20.1 and which closes its contacts 215 and therebyenergizes the control magnet 212 when a coil is absent from the readyHowever, another pair of contacts 221 is connected in the same controlcircuit in series with the feeler contacts 215 and is actuable by afeeler lever 220 which engages the yarn coil being unwound. When theamount of yarn on the coil becomes depleted to a given extent, thefeeler lever 220 closes its contacts 221 and when at the same time nonew supply coil is located in ready position on the glideway structure201, the feeler 214 also closes its contacts 215. As a result, themagnet 212 can become energized only when the contacts 215 as well asthe contacts 221 are closed simultaneously. That is, the winding stationis stopped and the control member 50, 51 for the mobile tender islocked, when the feeder means of the machine have failed to supply a newcoil and the yarn supply from the coil being unwound becomes depleted.However, as soon as a new supply coil is fed onto the glideway 201 andlifts the feeler 214, the contacts 215 are opened so that the magnet 212is deenergized. 'Ihis eiiminates the stopping and blocking conditions inthe winding station and the winding operation is continued.

In the embodiment described above with FIGS. 1 and 2, the windingstation becomes stopped before the yarn-supply coil on the holder peg 67is completely depleted of yarn. In some cases, however, it is desirableto stop the winding station only when the supply coil is entirelyexhausted, because then the travelling tender can be immediately calledupon to perform the yarn-end seeking and knotting operations as soon asa new supply coil arrives in the ready position so that the supply-coilexchange is performed with a minimum of further delay. Such performancecan be secured by connecting in the control circuit for the Winderdrive, that is, in the control circuit of the magnet 212 used in theillustrated embodiments, a control contact which is actuable by a yarnguard or feeler 231 responsive to presence of yarn between the supplycoil and the yarnclamping location along the yarn path from the supplycoil to the yarnguiding drum. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 3 a yarn guard 231 is pivotally mounted between the location of thesupply coil on peg 67 and the yarn tensioner T and normally restsagainst the yarn between the tensioner T and a fixed yarn guide such asa yarn cleaner 2311). When the supply coil C is exhausted, the yarnguard 231 turns counter-clockwise so that an arm 231a closes a pair ofcontacts 230. If at this moment no new supply coil has arrived in theready position on the glideway structure 201, the contacts 215 are alsoclosed so that the magnet 212 becomes energized. For preventing the yarnguard 37 from turning to contact-closing position before the bell-cranklever 45 is blocked by the lug 210b, another electromagnet 232 isconnected in the energizing circuit of magnet 212. The magnet 232 thusis excited simultaneously with the magnet 212 and arrests the yarn guard37 in the illustrated position of FIG. 3.

As soon as the conveyer or other feed means supplies a new coil to theready position, the contacts 215 are opened by the feeler 214. Thisinterrupts the entire circuit of the current source 213 so that bothmagnets 21-2 and 232 are deenergized at the same time. As a result, thelever 210 is pulled back to the illustrated starting position by theaction of spring 216, thus eliminating the blocking of the bell-cranklever 4S. Furthermore, the yarn guard 37 can now turn counterclockwisebecause the magnet 232 is no longer excited. Now, the bell-crank lever45 performs its turning motion, driven by the connecting rod 46, so thatthe hook end 48 abuts against the top of the yarn guard 37. As a result,the control lever 37 is turned clockwise a considerably greater extentand thereby releases the latching member 33 which now displaces thetappet 50 with a projection 51 toward the rig-ht in order to cause thetravelling tender, running on the carrier 3 and rail 4, to be stoppedand to perform the supply-coil exchange and the subsequent seeking andknotting of the yarn ends.

To those skilled in the art it will be obvious upon a study of thisdisclosure that my invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinillustrated and described above nor to being employed in conjunctionwith automatic coilwinding machines of the type described above. 'I'heinvention is rather also applicable, substantially in the mannerdescribed above, in conjunction with other winding machines,particularly any automatically operating yarnpackage winding machines ofvarious types and consequently can be given embodiments other that thoseparticularly mentioned herein, without departing from the essentialfeatures of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexedhereto.

I claim:

l. A yarn-package winding machine comprising a row of winding stationshaving respective take-up spools and drive means therefor and havingrespective coil holder means and feeder means for supplying yarn coilsto said holder means; a servicing tender movable along said row ofwinding stations for tying yarn ends coming from a coil on said holdermeans and from said spool respectively, each of said winding stationshaving a tender control mechanism for normally controlling said tenderto operate at said station in response to absence of yarn, and each ofsaid stations having a control device responsive to coil depletion ofsaid feeder means in said station and in controlling connection withsaid drive means for individually stopping the winding operation of saidstation in dependence upon said depletion, said control device beingconnected with said mechanism for rendering said mechanism inactiverelative to said tender, whereby said station is prevented from causingsaid tender to operate during persistence of said depletion, said feedermeans comprising a coil-conveying member in each of said windingstations, releasable means for holding a yarn-supply coil in a givenready position on said member, and said control device having a feelerengageable with a coil in said position and electric contacts operableby said feeler in the absence of a coil from said position, electriccontrol means connected with said drive means and having a controlcircuit connected to said contacts, another feeler engageable with acoil on said holder means and having contact means connected in saidcircuit and operable when said latter coil approaches a given degree ofexhaustion, whereby said electric control means are actuated by saidcontrol circuit to stop said drive means when the coil on said holdermeans is nearly exhausted and no coil is in said ready position. v

2. A yarn-package winding machine comprising a row of winding stationshaving respective take-up spools and drive means therefor and havingrespective coil holder means `and feeder means for supplying yarn coilsto said holder means; a servicing tender movable along said row ofwinding stations for tying yarn ends coming from a coil on said holdermeans and from said spool respectively, each of said winding stationshaving a tender control mechanism for normally controlling said tenderto operate at said station in response to absence of yarn, and each ofsaid stations having a control device responsive to coil depletion ofsaid feeder means in said station and in controlling connection Withsaid drive means for individually stopping the winding operation of saidstation in dependence upon said depletion, said control device beingconnected with said mechanism for rendering said mechanism inactiverelative to said tender, whereby said station is prevented from causingsaid tender to operate during persistence of said depletion, said feedermeans comprising a coil-conveying member in each of said windingstations, releasable means for holding a yarn-supply coil in a givenready position on said member, and said control device having a feelerengageable with a coil in said position and electric contacts operableby said feeler in the absence of a coil from said position, electriccontrol means connected with said drive means and having a controlcircuit connected to said contacts, another feeler engageable with theyarn coming from the coil on said holder and having contact meansconnected in said circuit and operable when said coil is exhausted,whereby said electric control means are actuated lby said controlcircuit to stop said drive means when the coil on said holder means isexhausted and no coil is in said ready position.

3. A yarn-package winding machine comprising a row of winding stationshaving respective take-up spools and drive means therefor and havingrespective coil holder means and feeder means for supplying yarn Coilsto said holder means; each of said stations having a control deviceresponsive to coil depletion of said feeder means in said station and incontrolling connection with said drive means for individually stoppingthe winding oper-ation of said station in dependence upon saiddepletion, said feeder means comprising a coil-conveying member in eachof said winding stations, releasable means for holding a yarnsupply coilin a given ready position on said member, and said control device havinga feeler engageable with a coil in said position and electric contactsoperable by said feeler in the absence of a coil from said position,electric control means connected with said drive means and having acontrol circuit connected to said contacts, another feeler engageablewith a coil on said holder means and having contact means connected insaid circuit and operable when said latter coil approaches a givendegree of exhaustion, whereby said electric control means are artuatedby said control circuit to stop said drive means when the coil on saidholder means is nearly exhausted and no coil is in said ready position.

4. A yarn-package winding machine comprising a row of winding stationshaving respective take-up spools and ydrive means therefor and havingrespective coil holder means and feeder means for supplying yarn coilsto said holder means; each of said stations having a control deviceresponsive to coil depletion of said feeder means in said station and incontrolling connection with said drive means for individually stoppingthe winding operation of said station in dependence upon said depletion,said feeder l2 cuit and operableV when said coil is exhausted, wherebysald electric control means are actuated bysaid control c1rcu1t to stopsaid drive-means when the coil on said vholder meansis exhausted and nocoil is in said ready po- 5 sition.

v 'References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS3,033,478 Furst a May 8, 1962 10 3,102,558 Fisher Sept. 3, 1963

1. A YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE COMPRISING A ROW OF WINDING STATIONSHAVING RESPECTIVE TAKE-UP SPOOLS AND DRIVE MEANS THEREOF AND HAVINGRESPECTIVE COIL HOLDER MEANS AND FEEDER MEANS FOR SUPPLYING YARN COIL TOSAID HOLDER MEANS; A SERVICING TENDER MOVABLE ALONG SAID ROW OF WIDINGSTATIONS FOR TRYING YARN ENDS COMING FROM A COIL ON SAID HOLDER MEANSAND FORM SAID SPOOL RESPECTIVELY, EACH OF SAID WINDING STATIONS HAVING ATENDER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR NORMALLY CONTROLLING SAID TENDER TO OPERATEAT SAID STATION IN RESPONSE TO ABSENCE TO YARN, AND EACH OF SAIDSTATIONS HAVING A CONTROL DEVICE RESPONSIVE TO COIL DEPLETION OF SAIDFEEDER MEANS IN SAID STATION AND IN CONTROLLING CONNECTION WITH SAIDDRIVE MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY STOPPING THE WINDING OPERATION OF SAIDSTATION IN DEPENDENCE UPON SAID DEPLECTION, SAID CONTROL DEVICE BEINGCONNECTED WITH SAID MECHANISM FOR RENDERING SAID MECHANISM INACTIVERELATIVE TO SAID TENDER, WHEREBY SAID STATION IS PREVENTED FROM CAUSINGSAID TENDER TO OPERATE DURING PERSISTENCE OF SAID DEPLETION, SAID FEEDERMEANS COMPRISING A COIL-CONVEYING MEMBER IN EACH OF SAID WINDINGSTATIONS, RELEASABLE MEANS FOR HOLDING A YARN-SUPPLY COIL IN A GIVENREADY POSITION ON SAID MEMBER, AND SAID CONTROL DEVICE HAVING A FEELERENGAGEABLE WITH A COIL IN SAID POSITION AND ELECTRIC CONTACTS OPERABLEBY SAID FEELER IN THE ABSENCE OF A COIL FROM SAID POSITION, ELECTRICCONTROL MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID DRIVE MEANS AND HAVING A CONTROLCIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID CONTACTS, ANOTHER FEELER ENGAGEABLE WITH ACOIL ON SAID HOLDER MEANS AND HAVING CONTACT MEANS CONNECTED IN SAIDCIRCUIT AND OPERABLE WHEN SAID LATTER COIL APPROACHES A GIVEN DEGREE OFEXHAUSTION, WHEREBY SAID ELECTRIC CONTROL MEANS ARE ACTUATED BY SAIDCONTROL CIRCUIT TO STOP SAID DRIVE MEANS WHEN THE COIL ON SAID HOLDERMEANS IS NEARLY EXHAUSTED AND NO COIL IS IN SAID READY POSITION.